After dinner at the club and several glasses of wine each, Catherine, who was wearing a skimpy mini-skirt, revealing top and high heels, challenged Haut to a game of pool. Haut soon learnt why she had wanted a game. Catherine was very good and prompted Haut to call her ‘Walter’, which led to a windy explanation of who Walter Lindrum was. The Monroesque Catherine didn’t seem to grasp the explanation, or didn’t care. She was concentrating on clearing the table of balls. Haut didn’t care either. Her shoes lifted her to more than two hundred centimetres.

They played five games and Catherine won all of them. She enjoyed her dominance and this put her in a most convivial and receptive mood as they helped each other across the road and up to Haut’s apartment.

Haut and Catherine quickly became an item and within weeks Haut was talking about getting engaged and married.

*

Three weeks later in Moscow, a special Kremlin meeting of Russian State Security was held, with Putin in attendance. Anatoly Kisley and the chief intelligence officer in Siberia, Yuri Norkov, wondered where they stood with Haut now.

‘I think we should monitor him a bit more closely,’ Putin said. ‘What would you suggest, Yuri?’

‘Has he a female partner?’ Norkov asked.

‘He has a relationship with a beautiful Russian.’ Putin smiled. ‘Whom he met in London.’

‘Yes, Catherine Ferinsky. I am aware of that. She sends us some information but not enough, in my opinion. Haut is not unfavourable towards us. We should learn more about his activity, especially about his falling out with the Chinese over what we assume was for military applications for cold fusion. We should know what he is doing with the CIA and the American navy.’

‘I read that report,’ Putin said. ‘He is also still seeking finance for his Tasmanian oil project.’

‘All the more reason we should have someone close to him to learn his aims and plans,’ Kisley said.

Putin pulled an agreeable face.

‘Do you have someone in mind for this operation?’ he asked. ‘She will have to be exceptional, given Ms Ferinsky’s proportions.’

That drew a round of smiles from the twelve key Russian security men.

‘I do,’ Norkov said. ‘She is a beauty and, with respect to Catherine, someone better qualified for such a project.’

‘Oh? Who?’

‘My daughter.’

47 RIGGED

47

RIGGED

Haut was brightened and excited when North asked him to be a judge of the ‘Miss Wintertime Wonderland’ contest.

‘There’s one girl I reckon is right for you, mate,’ North told Haut.

‘I’m getting engaged to Catherine.’

‘But not married yet, eh? I suggest you hold your horses until you see this one, all right? She’s about the best from the whole European Con-i-nent. But I’ll wait and see which one you choose, all right?’